Via detours to Brussels: The new Secretary of State Alexandre Fasel must find an agreement with the EU

Two years ago, the top diplomat wanted to go to Brussels to take on the position of EU ambassador. But at the time, Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis (62) thwarted his plans.

Hitchhiking to Brussels

At a meeting of the Federal Council, the foreign minister claimed that Fasel’s desired destination was Cairo. False information, it turned out later – Fasel never wanted to go to Egypt. But the die had already been cast. Outsider Rita Adam (53), ambassador in Rome at the time, received the coveted post in Brussels.

Cassis had hoisted her there, probably under the influence of Livia Leu, thus causing irritation in federal Bern. Because Fasel was actually the favorite. As ambassador in London, he was intensively involved in Brexit. In this way he acquired knowledge that would come in handy during the negotiations with the EU. However, Cassis sidelined him as a special envoy for scientific diplomacy. And this despite the fact that Fasel has had an impressive career in government service.

Lawyer with extensive experience in diplomacy

Alexandre Fasel studied law at the Universities of Freiburg and Oxford (Great Britain). He took up his first position in the foreign department in 1992 and got a lot done. First, the diplomat went to the Canadian capital of Ottawa. In 1994 he returned to Bern as a personal assistant to the then CVP federal councilor Flavio Cotti. He then became number two at the embassy in Canberra, Australia, before going to the UN in Geneva in 2004.

In Geneva, Fasel was head of Switzerland’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office. This was followed by a three-year interlude in the private sector. At the then major bank Credit Suisse, Fasel took over the management of the Formula 1 sponsorship, the partner of the racing team Sauber-Petronas. Fasel himself has been a passionate racing driver since childhood. In 2017, he returned to diplomacy, representing Switzerland as ambassador to the UK.

After the events of the past few years, Fasel had actually not even applied for the vacant position of Secretary of State. But since Leu will be leaving soon, Cassis was probably able to persuade him to take the post – even though there may have been a few applications on the Secretary of State’s desk.

Not just any yes man

The Federal Council as a whole would have put quite a bit of pressure on Cassis to elect a strong leader – not just any yes man, it is heard. After all, there is a lot at stake for Switzerland in the EU negotiations.

In fact, Fasel faces a huge task: the EU dossier is considered extremely difficult, Fasel is already the fourth Secretary of State since 2018 who will struggle with Brussels to reach an agreement and a possible new framework agreement. However, it is still unclear whether he will conduct the negotiations himself. In any case, the Freiburg diplomat seems to have the necessary tools.